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Perinatal Health

Tracey has been extremely busy recently campaigning to see improvements in stillbirth and infant death numbers as well as support and care for sick children who are born too sick, too small or too soon.

In March she lead a debate on how we can improve Stillbirth and Infant Mortality rates in the UK. The full transcript can be found here. Tracey was delighted with the support from colleagues and the response from the Minister in the deabte. Tracey said "I am so pleased that this important issue has been given some time to be debated in the House of Commons, I decided to focus this debate on the issue of Stillbirth and Infant Mortality Rates in the UK looking at ways we could reduce figures. However, the more I research this issue though the more I realise how vast an issue it is and I am widening my campaigning accordingly."

As part of Tracey’s ongoing work on championing improvements for children who are born too sick, too small or too soon she was delighted to recently host the Parliamentary launch of the WellChild manifesto for change, the charity for sick children to support their work in ensuring better provision of care, especially at home, and support for those children who should be at a time in their lives that is care free but are very poorly. She was delighted to support the annual WellChild Awards, an outstanding event where we celebrate the inspiration shown by some of the country’s seriously ill children and young people as well as the remarkable professionals who go above and beyond in providing care for them. For more information on the work of the Charity or how you can support them please visit https://www.wellchild.org.uk/

Further to this, on 1st May, she welcomed the launch and the findings of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (RCPCH) and the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) report entitled Why Children Die. The report finds that many of the causes of child death – including perinatal deaths and suicides, disproportionally affect the most disadvantaged in society, and says that many child deaths could be prevented through a combination of changes to infrastructure, political engagement and improved training for children’s healthcare professionals. UK children are at a higher risk of premature death than their Western European counterparts due to the growing gap between rich and poor and a lack of targeted public health policies to reduce child deaths. Every year, an estimated 2,000 additional children– that’s 5 a day – die in the UK compared to the best performing country, Sweden. For the full report please click here.

The annual WellChild Awards, ia an outstanding event where we celebrate the inspiration shown by some of the country’s seriously ill children and young people as well as the remarkable professionals who go above and beyond in providing care for them.

Nominations for the WellChild Awards 2014 have now closed. However, Tracey would like to encourage anyone who knows of someone to nominate to watch this space for the opening of 2015 nominations to be opened. Details of categories can be found here.